Cara Connell is the first to admit that her career path has been a little convoluted.
Starting out as a zoologist, she became a lawyer, then a freelance photographer, and latterly an entrepreneur. She is still only 35.
“I got very sick with tropical diseases from working [as a zoologist] in Africa. I got bilharzia – it is a water-borne parasite, you catch it from a snail – which really was my downfall,” says the Briton.
Returning to the UK, Ms Connell decided to become a lawyer, a profession which became “all-consuming” for five years until her mother became ill and she left her job to look after her.
“You know those junctions which happen where you are taken in the direction you don’t want to be taken in? I was kind of at this junction. These bad turnings happen, but the wonderful thing about them is it does lead you to where you do want to be,” she adds.
Where she wanted to be was photography – an interest which stretched back to her days in Africa. However, although she was finally doing what she wanted to do, she found working as a freelancer isolating.
She wanted to set up her own business and decided she could also do something to help fellow photographers, who often struggle to make a living.
“They were putting, say, £5,000 [Dh30,434] into a shoot, including make-up, models, artists, location, equipment, just to get some images, just to build up their portfolio so that one day they will then be hired for a job which will actually pay them for the work that they are doing,” she says.
“It was a combination of that, having my law background, wanting to set up my own business. I came up with Lumitrix and I haven’t looked back since.”
That was 2011. She spent a year working on the back end of the business and at the beginning of last year launched the website that sells prints by emerging photographers.
The project was self-funded with the most expensive aspect the site build. The website also features interviews with the photographers and a section which shows how the prints look in living rooms across the world.
“There are a lot of people out there who struggle to visualise how it will look on a wall,” she says.
Ms Connell now has five full-time staff and has signed up 15 photographers to feature on the site from countries including Russia, Malta, New Zealand and Mexico, but she has yet to find anyone in the UAE.
She is, however, on the lookout and has identified the Emirates as a potentially good customer base, even holding a launch event here as Dubai provided part of the inspiration for her company.
“I have a friend who now lives in Nigeria who was living in Dubai. We went to Ikea and we bought his whole house. He said I have got blank walls. I am going to buy [art] from Ikea. And I said on your death bed,” says Ms Connell, who lives in the UK.
“This is why I have created my company. The UAE is my perfect target market. It is for people whose furniture may not be for the rest of your life. It may not be your family heirloom but you can make your house look brilliant, and doesn’t have to be from Ikea and it can be affordable.”
Lumitrix sells A1 prints without a frame for Dh370.
“I think at the moment it is enough to sell here, but I would also like to have a freelance photographer based here.
“I have been going to galleries. I have been meeting people. I have been looking online and it’s about marrying aesthetics, so I haven’t personally found anyone yet.”
She is, however, satisfied that she has found the job for her, finally, as a photographer and entrepreneur. But had she not been struck down with a tropical disease, might she have remained a zoologist with an interest in photography?
“Well, at that cross-section in life I wanted to be an aerial photographer, and I wanted to live in Africa and I wanted to save animals,” she says. “It’s hard to say because so many things have happened since.”
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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Company%20Profile
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The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus Press
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
